Drinking, pregnancy research

Australian experts are warning against drinking any alcohol during pregnancy, despite a British study concluding there’s not enough evidence to suggest an occasional beverage is harmful to the baby.

A review of all available research on the impact of low-level drinking in pregnancy found an association between light drinking and smaller babies at birth. But there was no evidence of other harm, including miscarriage, birth defects and developmental delay.

The review, published in the journal BMJ Open, included experts from the University of Bristol and University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust.

They trawled all available research on the effects of light drinking (up to four units of alcohol a week) in pregnancy.

From 26 studies, the team found drinking up to four units a week was associated on average with an 8 per cent higher risk of a small baby compared with drinking no alcohol.

But they said that while there was an association, this did not prove a direct cause of smaller babies at birth.

The researchers said that overall there was insufficient data to “make robust conclusions”.

Australian Elizabeth Elliot, professor of paediatrics and child health at the University of Sydney and an expert on fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, disagrees with the conclusion.

She says there is a paucity of evidence of harm in offspring exposed to low levels of alcohol, but just because we can’t see damage doesn’t mean there is no damage.

“The safest option is to avoid alcohol.”